How Winchester Model 86 Overpowers M73 44-40 

I love my AR’s and other modern guns. But there is just something about blued steel, walnut, and a manual action that can never be replaced.

Ron, this was really a well done video. I love the Weatherwool jacket too, premium stuff. Ive got a bit of 45-70 time with Marlins, Winchesters, Sharps, Rollers, Springfield, and an Ruger No1. Ive carried my old 1886 Extra Lite into the woods bear hunting elk hunting and such. I like it. That old Ruger No1 is an nice piece of kit too. Mine can handle a load that will really wear you out shooting it and its brutal. Like near 458 win type brutal.

John Moses Browning,. The wizard of Utah! Greatest gunmaker ever!!

Thank you for making these videos Mr spomer. They are packed with great information. I really enjoy them!

1866 (yellow boy) was in 44 rimfire. 44-40 debuted with the 1873. You forgot to mention the 1876.

325 FTX, totally different ballgame , with the 45/70. In a Marlin 1895

So judging by your forearms, I am assuming you don't actually use a firearm when you hunt. You just squeeze the life out of anything dumb enough to cross your path...

Forward ahead a bit and it still thrills me to bits getting into an elk herd with a 94 in .32 Special. Cant get enough.

Id like to see a video like this on the savage 99. The history on them and what all the different letters mean.

Thanks for going over the lever guns. The Marlin 1895 guide gun is one of my favorites to handle and shoot.

This was great. I'm really loving the quality content, you love what you do and it shows. I think an episode all about the 450 Bushmaster and the 444 Marlin would be wonderful. For Big Game from Hog to Buffalo, and shots at or under 300 yards, they're just about perfect. Especially because you can load your WFN loads for 150 yard shots, your Hornady FTX for your longer range shots and Hardcasts for Bear Medicine. Great, flexible and very underrated. Especially the 444. Anyways, thanks!

Lewis & Clark also carried "air rifles" on their expedition as well...fyi. Great video as usual.

MANY deer, elk and men have fallen to the 44-40. Amazing round!

I really like the 1886 Winchester large bore repeater. Fine rifle.

Personally I'm a huge fan of the 92. There might be some more powerful chamberings in different models, but nothing beats the 92 for a slick action.

Good analogy with the the 30-30. My Marlin 1895 with 405s stoked up to 1,900 fps is essentially a 30-30 scaled up 2.5 times. Same point blank range as my 336, about 185 yards. Good close range elk rifle, but that 7.5# Marlin 45-70 is not fun to shoot, even with the inch thick recoil pad I fitted to it.

Ron: "Winchessserr" Me: "I start speaking that dialect at 18°F"

Marlin actually beat Winchester to the punch with a .45-70 lever-action. Their first one was the Model 1881, and they were pretty successful. The 1886 Winchester was lighter, and the Browning design was so elegant and strong it out-competed the Marlin on its own merits. Marlin came up with the 1895 model as a response.

Don't forget the first lever-action rifle chambered in 45-70: The 1881 Marlin.

Lewis & Clark were also notable for using the Girandoni air rifle on their expedition.

Let's not overlook that Marlin chambered the .45-70 and other big boys a full five years before St. John Moses Browning and Winchester did. The Marlin 1881 is a great lever-action rifle. The Marlin wasn't as popular as the Winchester because it was expensive, often too rich for western types. Winchester was the Chevy of rifles while Marlin was the Caddy.

Marlin guide gun, my favorate rifle.

The Marlin 336 was the evolution of the Marlin 1893 not the 1895.

Lewis an Clark also carried air rifles. The 1876 Winchester, I think, was probably the first serious, big game repeater. Killed the biggest buck of my life with an original 1886 Winchester in 45-90.

Your videos have become so essential to my learning curve. Thank you, teacher.

Great videos as always!! I know your content is very much cartridge based, however when looking at Lewis and Clarke, it's well documented that they also carried some french made air rifles. It's an interesting piece of history and often overlooked.

I'm a history buff anyways I love history is my favorite subject in school

Since I'm left handed these rifles are a God send.Thanks Ron.

You nailed it Ron, yes the lever action is a must have for the collection. I have always wanted one, now I think I know which one to get and hand-load for someday. Looks like a very fun rifle to own in 45-70 😎👍

If you can shoot the 30-30 Win.160gr. LeveRevolution is plenty of power for Elk. You may need to learn to stalk when hunting Elk but still when the 30-30 was first developed, Western hunters bagged hundred of Elk. Hunters in Quebec bagged hundreds of Woodland Caribou with the 30-30 Win. If you want to beat the hell out of you body with giant cartridges with heavy recoil, by all means be my guest. Americans have been propagandized into the myth of Bigger is Better. I think that belief is bullshit. Bullet placement is way more important. I dropped a 310lb. Bull with one "boiler room" shot at about 100 yds with a Marlin 336 XLR 30-30 Win. using a 170 gr. round nose hand load. It is one of my favorite 30-30 hunting rifles. My other favorite rifle is my Savage Model 99 30-30. I also love my 300 Savage although it doesn't get used much because ammo is very expensive and 30-30 ammo is easy to find and reasonably priced. My Remington 588 30-30 gets to eat psp bt bullets. It is my long range "Elk Rifle." By the way, my 6.5x55 SE rifles are my most favorite rifles for all purpose shooting including self defense. One us a cock on closing Mauser carbine that has been extensively modified into a "Scout Rifle." The other carries a 24" barrel and is aet up to harvest meat.

The 45-70 is an excellent and versatile cartridge. I love the round and load and cast bullets for it. I shoot my 1895 at least 3-400 rounds a year. Lever actions and 45-70-it doesn't get much better than that

Bullet construction has been wanting as of late ,look at solids in brass,that’s a very big improvement,and bonded cores🎯

I like 45-70. I think it is an over looked round that is especially good for a reloader. It can be loaded mild to wild. I have the Marlin 1895SS and the 1895GS. The GS is kept in AK and goes with me into the bush whenever I travel up there. One of my pet loads is with hornady interlock JRNSP combined with IMR3031, 50 gr. In SE US that will handle anything I encounter. For AK I have hotter loads that are using 400 grain bullets. I use Buffalo Bore.

I had a Marlin lever in 44 magnum and I was surprised how much it kicked with a 230 grain bullet. It didn't hurt at first, but I learned not to plan on shooting more than about 30 rounds at one time, it's not the first one that gets you, but it does get you after awhile. I ended up with a sore shoulder that first time, next time I wore a recoil pad shirt for shooting. Having fired a .458 magnum at the range I can imagine what shooting the 45-70 with a 400 grain bullet would feel like in that 8 lb. rifle. I highly recommend binoculars with 7x or 8x with a 50mm objective lens for the amount of light they collect. Great for the night sky too. I could see the Orion Nebula with a pair of 8x 50mm Celestron binos.

Hey Ron ... big fan of the 1886 here. I have a Winchester/Mirouko (sp?) version known as a “deluxe”. Awesome shooter but not a “long range” gun per se. I am using 405gr Hard Cast bullets with 43 grains of RL 7 and it makes for a very comfortable and accurate round. Your right however, at 9 and a half pounds she ain’t a light weight mountain rifle! All the best and stay well.

Ron, with all due respect to your firearms knowledge, it was confederate colonel John Mosby who coined the phrase "that damned Yankee rifle that can be loaded on Sunday and fired all week." When he encountered union troops armed with the Henry rifle, not the 1873.

Great Video, I'm sure about 10,000 people have already mentioned that the 44-40 came out with the 1873 - the 1866 'yellow boy' used the same . 44 rimfire as the Henry. Great Video on the History and Great Channel. 👍🏻

I use a 45/70 in model 1886 in the tropics where we only wear a thin cotton shirt the factory loads are really punishing, three shots with the steel but plate is enough.

I carry Buffalo-Bore 430 grain hard cast flat nosed lead in my Marlin when in Alaska bear country

actually ... winchester 1886 overpowers ALL other lever actions with the 50-110.

When you pull the trigger on 458 load like that , things happen real fast.be safe.

I'm happily waiting for Ruger to start producing Marlin 1895s. I have high hopes they will bring back the quality that was lost with Remington. Still got to make my mind up between .444 Marlin or .45-70. Any suggestions?

How do you calculate the recoil energy? I am looking at a wildcat round and want to compare it's recoil to the 6.5 PRC, 6.8 Western & 7 SAUM.

You’re making me want to buy a lever action even though I don’t need one

Marlin came out with the 1881 that shot the 45-70 first then Winchester 1886.

interesting...the 45/70 in the Hornady leverolution with a 300 gr bullet at 2100 fps puts this round into or just below the lower 458 Winchester realm. The 450 Marlin, a 45/70 with a magnum belted case and 350 gr bullet at 2100 fps is definitely in the low 458 range and recoils accordingly in those lighter weight lever guns. After about ten rounds of the Marlin offering I begin to feel like I'm beginning to get a headache....but a great camp defender! The 44-40 was a utility round good in both rifle and revolver, so one cartridge for two guns was a saleable option. And yes the Sioux had Custer at a disadvantage as they could get near enough in the tall Buffalo grass to bring their revolver cartridges to greatest effect. One wonders if the last thought Custer had was on hubris?

The yellow boy or 1866 was still rim fire. 1873 was first center fire.

Got my Henry in 45-70, I don’t get to shoot it much lately but I’m looking forward to shooting it more often once the ammo crisis is over.

Cool video. Wasn't the 1860 HJenry the gun that could "shoot all week?"

Cool comparison. Another neat one from the 1873 range was the 1873 Marlin 40-60. It was a "tweener" between 44-40 and the .45-70. It was used for some of the final Buffalo shooting days, because my great-great uncle was actually on the trains out west and used one. I still have it and load BP only loads for it on occasion. It's really close to a Winchester 40-65 in length and I have to use that brass now, because it was not produced after 1892. The neat thing that Marlin did was create the first small primer rifle cartridge, because as you know, the big negative with lever guns is that you have to use poor BC bullets with flat tips or round tips to avoid primer chain fires. Marlin created theirs with a small rifle primer, so that they could use slightly pointier bullets in the tubes. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by the Winchester in terms of production. Here's a link to see the one I have if interested: (Picture: photos.app.goo.gl/VhZDBLUzNXeqEGNa7 & lh3.googleusercontent.com/Kys-dlc3ycSPXjFJdbVx0bN5fM2KuPSi68t6hX9DN0JRMvM19svTyICmLb2JwD9KxF6kTMZ-mG5f3KLZUtvvoJRPVt3g1wTvSwfrvw4SaVYol8DcsHsSXO8WPsgD9ws2vTIXglFF-J74lwC37r_Ic-h6l3JbY0tKYauspw1czM4i1Lla1tLfOZhAwGA676zVr1CsBG8zNQ66-SfAoiBUS9tELF4DqwITUfX8h_r6xinng1Yx1YySkDA_3cjG4Xl3Z6NsqG9Pxvv-l21te7d-e31iv9a-5dZr5PIEwXnBGuZG83C4zkbAsJf62Qv3hx6Mai1rtbqXDR_O4NhkPFngMHca5_ABuUCKIvUvBhGzWuUFejX5sX9-BegSiLFLWMMmADru_RIO_DNDjxw0xfjvpHzzfv5pKEECEq8iOos8WuDHrbX4NCQHbylpD3tCJeaBCNzB1FdwJng8hDfh_pETsJOeoJuy0v6PzOiJpQ819VA5VvN4nN7oTzsMvvsn0AtIu2wxvSmSc2fZPNgXcRVEwO2Y1PQmcSm3k1y-fczS_-BzFLqlRFKNEqDG8yf_TPAivLJjhd9RgBmWQg5bWd3as5BcWLyrx7-Y752kq1BqHK2Tuf15O1sYuPI9JuodIzm5gAYd68w5Tp5Gv1UuO_r6Op15vZt8cndFCQZsu3MVzrPOHr8I5JmHaZTudW5u=w1600-h1200-no?authuser=0) The uncle who shot it used it for thousands of rounds and the barrel is pretty shot out due to the constant slick of black powder cartridges going through it. You can still shoot to 50 yards or so, but accuracy isn't really there anymore. After he finished working out west, he came back to Michigan and was a game shooter for the railroad which ran between Grand Rapids, MI and Travers City, MI. He would shoot deer as they were moving and outriders would go pick it up and bring it to refrigerator cars for sale to the "crime syndicate" folks up near Travers City. I also own a Marlin 1895 Guide Gun now and still shoot primarily .45-70 for deer hunting for a number of reasons, but I"m a hand loader and use 47 grains of Alliant Reloader7 powder with Hornady's 350gr. RNFP jacketed bullet and have terrific success (Picture: lh3.googleusercontent.com/tnB1O5qKDgf7eM1qZnfxR2iUIpXiB6NuRC4EP5MpyG3V9-rnH6nSRZrnvT9XAUH-mJ648mBCmmGnFFhWWSsIHxuwz9XOLOQKOTVQtDE_6jx6G3BDdZIVn1yTNrQCggE5zzbdmeS-FeMSeP4j8SqBOIA4EtCTdU9GdZOUtAiURXx9rP2C76JZ1Kc4EBxTNOd90oVMhV367YUfMWque-cuaCaO7LSbxgrXxuUWeCviSU_w_drN0fdpK5lLuVbd7yxUuDi8anraFZnE8TVZdUo_17vk6tnpx5d3kommcKNax2ul7x-K1OS6TMu1Axyzd6Vv-Zpj0sYVv3t-Fci-R4jlj1vV00z2D9NxY7qIkS7ksB7g7vS9oTAC5ROglivaYI-3sFufBHTyANKhM2y5Zvboz2DaI006MVHngFdlloootM6v1JPlM6IcOOqgmz2U2aOF2T6dql-rnhZB2_auPLJgo8VWBOLGETDIDStJUk-Xq2UHiEHDP7pobcSlLYAjhyfA47xmMYSJSaW3URgK0lk6V6Ubt5cYJnvyFHVRfTELhzh7r8ScQa4ORpsnOzF-SFIBngiiYH33lDJgkwg9ImTrDkxs5oO4rOtEuV8KB6p5oNnN97EA8tGWMl6H5HDSoQW67-StGPYUsaNjHo9exK9VstdJS8Gc8VCr-dsFuzH2t5ZKHOOeCn4N00h4lmiR=w619-h800-no?authuser=0). This has worked well in my .45-70 H&R Handi-Rifle and other .45-70's I've had. I had for a time an H&R Buffalo Classic which is a 32" barreled .45-70 version with a pretty crescent stock like your 1873 has (picture: lh3.googleusercontent.com/KWhmcRFaKmAPT3SeM0KuPznw1xfXYnbvH-tkaWwwTRNgWYFMKWKOprIQzfEm3_YYpbvpWaZcfSpgeizhN0o-qCOI1t-O1fS99-BSh1vGf1u2m5FFpHwVCih1d_7NAhS281rEa4WLDCXdkhSDbg56EY9uNuI6utg1SxZ72BMhwUECB_kjMj-O0WLnYZDCZ4fCDCYVrH_QUR2C8rae1TGKr8hfPuWv52gSAAWL4uGv1klSRmLTxMLsypD7MJUNzV0kPWfik5aAYAbzxijC60Q_G9RaNxUHJkuk8So9XiBYUoIZMBVagMSA33c_VyRk7oBYIZ_tkYrFzutP2cYTrWx27bZ456jgrosvxYmn0_5XiLO5YcnC9JmlkG7MHRyaq9ByZdHXEdeGDJLswfbPVWbNgvtjIphxeQVYR9JcnMNEUkrdzq8pHpvnTfpWvgzyAmCQR-JsQPt6lbHosz04XHjjoQbRKXC-m4Lx5NC7L3qnew8eQWVmmeno9dNN4AkipGGUb1FEZqCpwMZjtAzN3CB2K4t9HvwQd28N0NxtytxJliK8BKqELnaj76ZA24MQEx1dPp6Gn6F22HmUAFv7zUob0ikW2OZQz-8EBN3V_qeO_DrLUwaRZuwiEp3FiMcpqPvImVqnqJpXcEvdsDzV_MTNWmtwtaHZgWvVwQlCidJeN5WXD8GUypJu65hFEq9G=w1600-h1200-no?authuser=0), but caught one of the strong loads right on that point into the ball of my shoulder; when I pulled up quick and took a shot. Hurt like the dickens and gave me quite a "frog" on my shoulder for a time. I use a thumbhole Boyd's stock now for hunting and it's much more comfortable. (Picture: lh3.googleusercontent.com/gqA_5U7JJi9eWZwOjCUo9t9sKRntAhg-nJ0cT6MCE6whvxbhShy_LeRnlI6Ja_MS1S1-pkSrzxeghK4_-xPOYQ8rLI-Z8wgHEzsUJDUuziXMP9MYrTKDNC2PcWQqKiI0ofTcAc1m-LULd2-zEADzE_mSLWm1duSsg8M5SGHbxIyb1Bng_epRjd8IjjA90PErfSgMITmlzXmxsplZ6qg5PYGQqt3OMVqBCbyBRQbc5Zw9iTndYjr7wVhYCea6AUKvHTQFQwlUBupkKQPW_cnWWdfxSrzpdTJWfnG8vkdp1vzOvhtMjAzar7-DSRR__-QLbn_TxoaAmPVjJPFiv2NqRq2wh4Yx2BqtprMcY2Xi_s7sYSpdl19UhGu3sKmDvgvGtStN0X2Cia1a_U56fP5evDJhpV7oxpbJFyoQ_afRIakWUS6InciSLbnyraJNJfYVGzgGlayi-R7t4FNpY_SdHO07CfVDqmTo4knpDCQqqX35JcXSXRhJmpdq8pIEBOJjwjusg71VrVl2RYjxTAmzWUpIzMeZrNQKARMZlg73yrRUOOAN0qaACdopDqZLzslC9OGZBbi-jyg80U1CeXi_xVELR50JpxQ7mP727Q3N_WCuEFihA53P0SFvBruJMoQGvm7dK0SLGerxH_VH7DM-F35E5G1vwbMTC2TuZnHoPoL_ODB3c38IsE4JVJbN=w431-h800-no?authuser=0) My other lever action is my Model 94 chambered in .32 Winchester Special. It's a pretty spectacular old gun also. It was my Great grandma's "porch gun", as they called it. She would sit in her rocking chair on the front porch and shoot deer during the depression era. It was the first rifle I got to carry deer hunting after the .410 single shot. (Picture: lh3.googleusercontent.com/Qf5OEkL1NnVs-K-SamDoplPp5QHpwv4GyjeMr-VyUVbFfvytZ13fOsRrrN5kTyN5cEa_oHIbdmx9Pnl8Zfg7z7qPBc5NsmKfnqVqIkJ8MWXfbjruNy0fdz-6n_mVdWVxmB7IcbEDATe3n8XZFpQG66Y9Xlg5RjkKWtibulxkfSN8S7CE7zyfYF5bCYzC_41pr_xM4B2o4aIBpGaqMBCEChCoC5weEHOGnGTuwzQsKKWuJQDWZFIpZaEONzOSEZFJy0UT6OrJ-V11QCfDQPQxZJAZhabUwnolS6BRQklOIhFoWcVVHaA8ORf7GU6bydt2WAXpSaTZQ5T77G27oILPsT24z8CpKEW1HFUzYm2zSv0_2h_ACHPdLj8g0A_LIHVGjxzt2dikc0PCn2g1QJ6_j0s9pjrIwUygrT_8ejRVJ_BAkQkgMgQ9dWu3RHn5tzeqolbYAoWoGTcfSVNLUuYuDOhf3Fz5rywKJVkFxBUNcVuxOaDrBeYkHIqvVKDUc70JFWcFEFYFUTnmtKXChzRoYak64B97ICKJYCt3rBLw-MGVzxcwpb8Ppa2nUIHpIsrsiwHYsE0ssTD2ZkR7XlGOeORC2AKvEZpb8920fnlDoGX6xDoRtNyQN6tZ1oOVk9DV7s2gicQrHtqvFmIBizZVMIiOO2WHIoWhAOnZPdn5Ht-a1AKuiH60zXuAg2Nv=w800-h159-no?authuser=0)

The 86 is a fantastic rifle. I really want to get one of the new ones with a 71 style butt and semi pistol grip. I dont really have much need for a .45-70 but God I want one BAD

In the Western movies of the past the rifle of choice was the model 92 Winchester rifle. John Wayne carried one. Also, one can reload .45 ACP to .44-40 rifle ballistics. One more thing, how about an '86 Winchester reproduction in .378 Weatherby magnum.

Marlin didn't introduce the model 1895 to compete with the Winchester 1886, it was the other way around, Winchester introduced the model 1886 to compete with Marlin's model 1881.

Just don’t shoot bp In those cool gats.love some 45/70 w 525gr.@1500 FPS 🎯

The 44-40 was released in 1873 it was considered one of the main improvements of the model 73. It was not available on the 66, at least not at the time of it's release.

I had a Browning 86 rifle with an octagonal barrel , I fitted a Lyman peep sight and shot black powder loads with a ( custom mold ) 450gr paper patch lead slug , That crescent butt plate may be fine off a horse or standing but , whoo , it bit when shooting from prone . I made a sissy pad from a pair of shoe liners and it still bit , then I got an offer I couldn't refuse and sold it . I have regretted that ever since , it is a beautiful rifle , very slick action , lovely walnut wood and superb deep bluing , with no safety catch .

You left out the Winchester 76 fella

If you would have shot a 405 bullet at about 1250fps your maple log wouldn’t have stood a chance!

This is one fantastic video and I love the intricacies of all the details that this gentleman has a vast knowledge of

Great video on one of my favourite calibers! I’m a Marlin guy, but if I had to pick a Winnie, it’d be the 1886 in .45-70 GOVT. Take care.

My Henry .45-70 seems to kick about twice as hard as my Savage. 30-06. I can run a couple boxes though the Savage, but that Henry I'm done after about 10 rounds.

The 1886 Winchester in 50-110 is By Far My Favorite Lever Action Rifle Thank You John M Browning 😊😀😊

You can shoot the Henary 45-70 up to 300 yards

The 45-70 is good for about 150 yds... Billy Dixon: Hold my beer and watch this! 😂😂😂😂

The 45/70 is a good gun to have if a grizz charges ya.

More horsepower on a rifle! Good one! 🇺🇸✝🇺🇸

Another great video. Not that it matters much in terms of the overall message, but, the 44 WCF was born with the 1873 Winchester. The 1866 was still originally chambered for the Henry 44 rimfire round.

I'd use my Henary 45-70 gov

Wood aka russian ballistic jelly! 😆

I love my 1895. Got it's muzzle energy up to about 3,900ft-lbs to beat out my dad's 300WMG. But I mainly shoot blackpowder rounds now :D

Some time ago in New Zealand i had a Simiese Mauser action 45/70 and loved it. It would fire a load of IMR 3031 behind a 305 grn projectile at around 1900 fps. impressive. I foolishly sold it to a guy who had had his 45/70 stolen. Always regretted it.

The 1866 “yellow boy” still used the 40 caliber Henry rim fire Cartridge. It had the improved loading gate by the breech and the wooden fore grip but the 44-40 centerfire cartridge didn’t come until later.

liked the video, i picked up a henry 45-70 a few years ago after inheriting a few boxes from gramps after he passed (apparently no one else wanted that much recoil??) and im glad i did, it quickly became one of my favorite cartriges and rifles

The best of all 45-70’s are the 2019 or newer Marlin 1895 Cowboy Action 18.5” barrel, 6+1, octagonal barrel, walnut stock, 45-70!! It can handle +P ammo and is just the right size for home defense, hunting in the bush!!

I have never before seen any of your videos, I just stumbled upon your site. I was impressed at your instruction and history storytelling and I like how you weave both together. I am not sure if you write good scripts or you are just a natural on camera...either way, well done! My only critique, and I must stress that it is probably going to ignite a fight by some who read, but your comment about the danger of wolves is something I cannot overlook. I will forgive you if you were simply continuing the narrative that has been fed to us since time immemorial but for anyone that actually believes that wolves are dangerous, my advice is to do the research. There hasn't been a single wolf attack on a human in the history of North America. There are commonly reports of attacks (as recently as this year in Jasper National Park) but like all the others, coyotes are responsible. Unknowledgeable tourists that feed or come across habitually fed coyotes always cry 'wolf' when they see one. Even going back in an historical study to investigate 'wolf' attacks that go back many years, including some that have actual samples (hair, scat), DNA tests show that coyotes are responsible. Let me briefly say that I am not vilifying the coyote (their attacks are rare and are almost always caused by tourists feeding them) and they are a necessary piece of the ecosystem. Going further (and this is where I am sure the fight will start), the death of the American young man who was killed in Canada several years ago had 'experts' investigate at the request his wealthy family. They apparently had someone tell them that it was a wolf (as wolves were seen in the area) and they took it from there. Every interview they gave said that it was wolves....and that sealed it for the wolf. Just like being vilified in the past for hundreds of years, the wolf was once again the stuff of nightmares. Just like when we were kids with all the fairytales, the wolf was feared and hated. Getting past the media that regurgitated the story that his family shared about being devoured by wolves, a little know study was done at the very site where the young man tragically lost his life. Of some of the people that were there (wardens, police, coroners), there was a bear biologist. He stated unequivocally that it was indeed a black bear that had made the kill. I know that was long, and I thank you if you read it and took it to heart (a long winded way of asking you to edit your ill-speaking of the wolf), but it really is important that they are seen for what they are. If you would like me to go into detail about that, I would be glad to expand on just what they are (and are not) and just how important they really are. Coming full circle to where I began, I really do like your channel and I will subscribe and continue to watch. In defense of the Wolf, and sincerely and respectfully, James

A 350 hp bullet expands and therefore not much penetration. The original had a 500 gr lead bullet. Today a hard cast 475 gr bullet performs as a solid with max penetration

You skipped over the 1876 which was a heavier duty 1873. It was chambered in .50-95 it was the first repeating buffalo rifle.

Thanks Ron. That video was really informative and entertaining as well, you have a great way of putting things across, clearly - and you made it so interesting. Your knowledge of the subject and your explanation made it so easy to take in and understand. Ballistics is not the easiest subject to read, I find it's a lot better to hear it from someone like yourself who knows what he's talking about. Thanks again my friend.

I love binoculars I don't know about this new monocular they got out there though

I think the Browning blr with a box magazine and front locking like a bolt rifle is the ultimate lever rifle.

What a fantastic follow-up to your 30-30 Winchester there Ron. As I mentioned in that video I would love to get a lever gun for the many reasons that others have given. There's something about the old Cowboy 🤠 action style rifles. I also mentioned that since my Dad and brother have 30/30s and that my neighboring state of Ohio is a straightwall cartridge state, I would like to eventually get a lever gun in 45/70. The results on those warthogs make me hesitate almost as much as the price on those gorgeous Pendersolis. Thanks for sharing some history on this cartridge and others.

factory ammo on the 4570 is really weak junk. i load my own 400 gn hardcast bullets and i can shoot clean through a 2 ft fir tree easily . nothing stops em !!!

Even though the 45/70 is way more powerful I have a feeling the humble .44-40 isn't something I'd want to be shot in the chest with.

Didn't John Browning also develope the Stevens 520 shotgun ? My next door friend told me that, but I never knew he did any work for Stevens.

The 45-70 is a great cartridge but I really wonder how the 460 S&W magnum out of a rifle like the bighorn armory model 90 compares. This could make for a really interesting cartridge comparison video. I really can't find any data on this.

I just purchased a Browning 1886 carbine in 45-70. It makes lever gun number nine in my collection.

The Warthogs needed more shock, like 30:06 With a power point projectile. No? Ruins a lot of meat on a big White tail Buck I do know. Haa THanks

Need to check out lever guns 50 , he really cranks these things up .

Good photography. I always, as a kid, thought the crescent butt plate was a great idea. I guess, from reading, it isn't nice. Shoot, I could listen to this guy for a day.

The yellow boy aka 1866 is still 44 Henry. 44WCF came out with the 1873.

Since. About... 1986. Or. 87...I. have. Secretly. Been. Wanting. A. 45.70. Rifle... and. I. Was.nt. sure. I. Wanted. It. In. A. Lever.....marlin... but. The. .444. Performed. With. Excellent. Results... I. Filled. 3. Deer. Tags. With. It... and. One. Coyote....

Nice video! Your choice of bullet for the '86 was a modern, 'light weight' expanding bullet as opposed to the 405 and 500 gr cast bullet that was in the cartridge back in the day. I suspect that the original loading - even with black power - would have been a more effective maple log killer! ;) Re -" the gun you load on Sunday and shoot all week" - that statement was made during the Civil War in reference to the original Henry 44 which was in limited use by the union army late in the war. The '73, of course came out eight years after the war ended.

450 Marlin is a great cartridge. I wish manufacturers offered a bolt rifle in 450 Marlin.

No the Henry was the one you could load on Sunday and shoot all week.

The Win M86 in .45-70 with a 400 gr. solid is my go to Bush Gun. Taken many a large beastie with it, both here in the US and in Africa. Great gun! Thank you, Sir for this amazing video!! Tip: 300 gr. for deer is good, but everything else, 400gr. Also, to get the most out of the .45-70, you need to load your own.

First time viewer that has a passion for the old lever rifles as well as the 1873 Colt SAA .45 Long Colt. I have a Uberti 1862 Navy Henry Rifle .44-40 , bought it new in 1997. This past July I bought new a Uberti, EL PATRON Colt 1873 SAA .45 cal. Long Colt. And I'm not stopping there. Thank You, Ron, for your wisdom. A'ho!

I remember my local gun store while I was in college, Stick2yourguns, got something I thought was pretty neat. He had it labeled as a Marlin 1895 in .44-40 but it didn't look like any Marlin 95 I'd ever seen before. It had a loading gate that would slide foward instead of down when a cartridge was inserted. Can't remember the specific model but turns put he had some early model Marlin lever action and didn't know it. I wish I had picked it up but I just didn't have $800 as a poor college student to drop on a rifle. Hell, I barely had $200 to drop on my Parker but when a 1904 Parker in rough external shape but perfect mechanically is for sale at $200, I don't know anyone who would pass on that offer

45-70s are popular here in Australia. M1895 Marlins, Ruger No1s and rechambered Siamese Mausers have long been favourites of Buffalo and Sambar hunters. Like all black powder cartridges one should start low and work up. 10 years ago a friend had a good sambar load for his Marlin. It Ran a moly-coated 300gn Hornady pill at 2200 out of an M1895 Marlin. Dropped sambar like Thor's hammer and grouped under an inch and a half. APPROACH WITH CAUTION.

I don’t know why they made the 300 grain bullet , the Springfield 1873 used a 405 grain bullet Designated 45-70-405 and later in the Springfield 1884 model designation was .45-70-500 . I shoot blackpowder and also AA5744 and the results are excellent ,

Black Hills deer with 30-30. That's living. I'm trying to ID where you are in the video. Central Black Hills here. Looks like the scrub oaks in what my Grandpa called Crooked oaks, near Spearfish, but could be the Southern foothills, too.. I use a Savage 1899 with Marbles peep sight in 30 WCF. The old time 30-30 guys taught me to use the 170 grain roundnose. It's only 100 fps or so slower than the 150, but has .256 sectional density. This really helps to drive that slower bullet clear through the lung cavity. It seems to have been good advice. Hornady makes a 150 SST for my .300 Savage. Made to open at much lower velocity than standard 30 cal bullets. I'm not sure the 30-30 can drive it fast enough, but I've loaded a few to test as the rotary mag on the 1898 allows Spitzer bullets.